Wither The Republican Party?

There was an interesting and sad television shot shown to the American people last night. On the anniversary of the fight for civil rights in the South, most members of Congress locked arms and sang the famous marching song of civil rights fighters, “We Shall Over Come.” However, neither John Boehner nor Senator Mitch McConnell moved their lips in order to display their opposition to anything that President Obama supported. A wonderful display of courage. If Jesus Christ appeared tomorrow and was walking with President Obama, the Republican party would come out against Christianity. A once great political party has become a negative, angry, hating group of men and women. Oops, sorry, I ignore the concern of Republicans for the oppressed minorities in our nation–the upper 5% of those with money and those who fight for the right to earn billions.

Let me review the history of this once great party:

1. Abraham Lincoln pushed through the first income tax. He gave away free land to all who desired in the Homestead Act. His government financed construction of the intercontinental railroad. He backed creation of colleges that were free to students. And, worst of all, he took property away–without compensation–from slave owners!
2. Theodore Roosevelt blasted the wealthy for their selfishness. He broke up monopolies and then had the Federal government supervise their operations. He advocated the Income Tax amendment. He ended segregation in the federal government. He also defended the rights of workers to have unions.
3. Wendell Wilkie lost the 1940 presidential election to Franklin Roosevelt. He then spent World War II as a special assistant for the president. Republicans in Congress worked with President Roosevelt to create a United Nations.
4. Dwight Eisenhower refused to lower the WWII top income tax level of NINETY PERCENT until debts were paid off. His administration fought for the Brown vs Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended segregation. Eisenhower worked to ends segregation in the armed forces and ended it in Washington D.C.
5. Republicans worked with President Lyndon Johnson to pass the Civil Rights bill.
6. Heck, Richard Nixon supported Affirmative Action, came out for national health insurance, and even toyed with the idea of a guaranteed income for all Americans.